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The British Ministry of Defence announced that five UK Royal Marines among nine marines have been arrested with charge of murder over insurgent’s death in Afghanistan in 2011.

Five Royal Marines are the first British troops arrested under murder charges in the country during the Afghanistan conflict arising from 2001, and now at that time when 9,500 deploying troops are expected to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Among nine, seven marines were arrested on October 11 and two in the last 48 hours, while four have been released without charge due to pending further inquiries.

The incident for which British troops arrested took place in Helmand province last year when Royal Marine 3 Commando Brigade were deployed there, as per source reports, the arrest stormed from video footage found on a British serviceman’s laptop by police.

“The Royal Military police has referred the cases of the remaining five Royal Marines to the independent Service Prosecuting Authority. Following direction from the SPA these marines have now been charged with murder and they remain in custody pending court proceedings,” an MoD spokesman told media.

Further reports said that the incident under an “engagement with an insurgent” was not involved any civilians.